I normally pistol hunt anymore because anyone can shoot one with a rifle and pistols are much easier to pack around. Anyway I had not been firearm deer hunting in about five years but I was in need of some jerky. So I decided to take my 500 Smith and give it a shot. I had loaded almost every load imaginable for the thing and discovered that even the lightest load I have, that I use for target shooting, is still 50% more energy than the 44mag load I used on the last buck I took 5 yrs ago. Saturday after noon, after sitting in my stand all day over a scrape, I had oppertunity and took it. A doe came by to check out the scrape and I quickly got ready for her as she came around a tree. As she came around I had the 500 aimed at where she would soon be. She looked up as she came around and watched me as I continued to keep the cross hairs on her. One more step and pop, she dropped where she stood, but it felt like I had only fired a .22lr. The round hit above her left shoulder and exited through the last rib on the opposite side,this thing is amazing.
